


First Friend, Real Friend

by daisymayrio



Category: The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Clouis, F/M, Family, Loss, Tenn - Freeform, friends - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-07
Updated: 2019-05-07
Packaged: 2020-02-27 16:27:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,658
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18742747
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/daisymayrio/pseuds/daisymayrio
Summary: All the kids still need time to heal after the events of episode four.Tenn receives a proper funeral.The song the kids sing is from Spring Awakening the musical.





	First Friend, Real Friend

It’s a few hours before dawn, no one in the school can sleep. These days, it seems that everyone is on the same exact sleep schedule. The sky emanates a deep indigo, clouds are approaching along with a few gentle claps of thunder warning its arrival. Clementine lays beside Louis, her head tucked into his chest, his coat covering them both as a blanket. His arms all around her, his loose hand twirling one of her ringlets. Throughout the entire night, he’d kiss her forehead after every sleepless hour, she’d trace circles and hearts into his emerald long sleeve and listen to his heartbeat. AJ mentioned hours ago he’d go on patrol.

“Clem?” Louis whispers, his tone hesitant, not wanting to wake her up if she had managed to fall asleep.

“Louis?” She scoots closer to him, if that was even possible.

“Do you think Minnie had a chance… to be saved… or atone? Before we got onto the boat, I mean.”

“When we first ran into her, I told her it wasn’t too late to come back.”

 

_You can come back to the school with us._

 

“She answered ‘no,’ right away, like the chance had been killed for her… a long time ago.” Not after what she did to Sophie. The look in her eyes, she witnessed nostalgia fleeting away, the chance of being able to have a true home again completely expired, like everything else.

 _Sophie, Minerva, Brody, Marlon, Mitch, and Tennessee._   _Two twins determined to show the world their many talents, along with little brother who had dreams of getting by and leaving his mark through his art. Brody was a girl who just wanted to see the world before her time ran out. If traveling was free, you’d never see her again. Marlon, the young man who could have had it all, instead, went from a trusted leader to a coward. Mitch, a boy who made destructive devices - lead him to saving his friends, allowing them to create and build a new life. There was a lot more to him than just making bombs._

Clem intertwines her hand with his. Louis holds her hand tighter, his chin on top of her head. A knock leads them both to answer the door, the door revealing AJ holding a sullen Violet’s hand. Her bandages just changed.

“It’s time, let’s go to the courtyard.” AJ quietly informs them, Violet nods. Louis drapes his coat over Clem.

 

* * *

All the kids gathered around Tenn’s grave. The chill in the air carried a scent of mint and teakwood, a few droplets coating the remaining flowers sprouting around. They ended up burying his sketchbook, his firefighter, and his favorite lavender colored pencil. He’d often draw his sisters in dresses when they were younger, he thought lavender suited them both. Everyone stood there, trying to fathom just how to give a proper funeral like they once did.

 

_Talk, set flowers, sing._

 

Violet stepped forward, barely able to see the blur of the grave belonging to _the soft little boy who liked to draw._ “Tennessee was... “ Violet began, her voice already breaking. She cleared her throat, hoping to regain some clarity. “He was a little boy who knew how to dream big. Before this whole mess started, he wanted to open his own little gallery, people coming from all over the world to visit it. He would’ve shown some of his best works, his favorite works he’d found or made throughout the years. In his dream gallery, he wanted to have a blank canvas that anyone could add whatever they wanted. He thought art was always a team effort. There’s always someone to inspire the art, then the person who creates it, and then the people who enjoy the piece…”

She remembers for her first birthday after the mess started, he drew her at the grand canyon, using up all the best colors he could find. He’d also dream about retiring on top of a little mountain in a tiny cottage with his own art studio. He was so little back then too. They’d always have some nice talks while she’d tuck him in every night. No matter how long or short, they’d always listen to each other, never missing a word. Violet slowly but surely realized Tennessee was her very own Alvin Junior. Perhaps not the same dynamic Clem and AJ have, but her and Tenn’s was just as important.

“You always wanted your own art studio. So, I tried drawing one for you. It’s not as good as your blueprint drawing... but I hope you like it anyway.” AJ gently places the gift on his friend’s grave. Tenn always liked his drawings, and always found something good about them. AJ and him had a project planned too. Of course, Aasim had the duty to chronicle everything, but AJ thought his diary could use photos. He and Tenn were planning on making the picture book version of everything that’s happened since the mess started.

AJ still remembers the last look Tenn gave him after making the hard call. But before that, AJ saw something in Tenn just… _leave_.

 

_Did he give up everything for Minnie? Even after everything?_

 

AJ had tried to ask Clem about it, why these things happen, but just couldn’t find the words. There aren't any answers anyway. She didn’t even know why most things happened, she barely knew how to live with it.

Ruby began quietly sobbing, Aasim pulls her into an embrace. Louis held his head low, squeezing his eyes shut, the disbelief always lingering. Clem holds his hand, he rests his cheek on her head.

 _“Those you've known and lost still walk behind you…”_ Louis began singing, breaking the silence the tears brought. Clem recognized the lyrics from sheet music he had.

“ _Without them, the world grows dark around you… and nothing is the same until you know that they have found you…_ ” She sings softly. The verses a bit difficult to remember, but they made it work.

 

AJ holds Violet’s hand, leading her towards Louis and Clem, all the kids join. Everyone joins in.

 

_Those you've pained may carry that still with them_

_All the same, they whisper "all forgiven”_

_Still your heart says their shadows bring the starlight_

_And everything you've ever been is still there in the dark night_

_Though you know you've left them far behind - And the northern wind blows_

_You walk on by yourself and not with them - The sorrows, your heart goes_

_Still you know they fill your heart and mind - There are those who still know_

_When you say there's a way through this - They're still home, we're still home_

 

_They call me, through all things_

_Night's falling, but somehow on I go_

_You watch me, just watch me_

_I'm calling, through longing_

 

_…_

 

_Not gone_

_I'll never let them go_

_Not gone_

_I'll never let them go_

 

_“Not gone.”_

 

The melody fades out, they all remain hand in hand. The last words echo all across the courtyard, along with the windchimes against the wind.

 

Seconds turned into minutes, who knows how long they stood there? No one opened their eyes until Clem felt a tap on her nose.

 

It’s raining.

 

The scent of dew quickly follows the air, the droplets of cobalt staining the grave and what was left of the courtyard. Willy splashed into a puddle, he chuckles. AJ does the same. They start playing tag.

 

Ruby and Aasim sat at the steps of the admin building, looking up at the cobalt droplets coming for them. Aasim offered his jacket to her once, she gently refuses. After her first sneeze, he places the hood over her red waves and feels her forehead.

 

Vi looked up, letting the droplets gently drench her cheeks, and for a moment, she felt at peace.

 

Louis took the opportunity to twirl Clem around in the harmony of droplets, her cheeks hurt from giggling. He wraps his arms around her waist and lifts her, she rests her hands on his shoulders as he spins his future bride. She rests her forehead on his, smiling the same way when she first confessed to him. Louis’s tawny eyes admire every little feature on her face, pure tranquility embedded his face and heart, a usual effect she had on him. He parts his lips onto hers, they only briefly break for air. They let the rainfall continue to cover them, she continues another kiss with a wistful sigh, her arms wrapped around his shoulders.

 

The kids don’t go inside, even when they hear bits of thunder.

 

Clementine ended up falling asleep on Louis’s lap on the courtyard couch. Louis twirls her organized jungle of ringlets and covers her with his jacket. He stares off towards Marlon’s grave.

 

Louis likes to think that Marlon would have been happy for him finding the girl of his dreams. Even if that girl could kick his deceased best friend’s ass. Even so, she promised they could still make things right. Well, as “right” as everything could be in this world.

 

A few owls began alerting the forest at the end of the rainfall, prompting the others to return to their rooms. Louis carries his future bride to their room as quietly as he can. She begins to furrow her brows in her sleep and stir, Louis gently hushes her and kisses her forehead, his voice instantly lulling back to a dream and keeping nightmares far, far away.

 

Before AJ went in, he had one more thing to say to Tennessee.

 

“Thank you, Tenn. For teaching me how to draw. For telling me about the firemen and the police from the world before. For teaching me how to be… normal. I wish I could’ve taught you a little more.” Maybe he’d still be here. AJ traces over Tenn’s craved name.

 

“Thank you for being my best friend.”  

 

AJ tightly hugs his first real friend’s tombstone.

 

 _Thank you for thinking I’m brave._  

 


End file.
